Netflix’s ‘The Altruists’ Trailer Reveals Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle as Caroline Ellison and Sam Bankman-Fried
The collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX became one of the most dramatic financial scandals of the decade. At its center were Sam Bankman-Fried, the company’s founder, and Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of affiliated trading firm Alameda Research, who was also his girlfriend.
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on 7 charges of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Ellison pleaded guilty, testified against him, and received a 2-year sentence after cooperating as a key federal witness.
Now Netflix is bringing their story to the screen. The streamer has released the first trailer for ‘The Altruists’, an 8-episode limited series starring Julia Garner as Ellison and Anthony Boyle as Bankman-Fried, premiering November 19.
According to the official logline, the series follows 2 hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye, before they were accused of stealing $8 billion. Netflix has billed the pair as Gen Z’s own Bonnie and Clyde.
The trailer opens with Boyle’s Bankman-Fried introducing himself to Garner’s Ellison with a brain teaser, at one point telling her the game is about analyzing risk. From there, the pair bond over their desire to save the world and build a business designed to “earn to give.”
As the footage unfolds, their romance deepens alongside the rise of FTX. But cracks soon appear, with hints of secrets that could unravel everything, and a moment where Ellison admits she doesn’t know whom she can trust.
First trailer for ‘THE ALTRUISTS’ starring Julia Garner, Anthony Boyle & Hudson Williams. 🎥 It follows Bankman-Fried & Ellison who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye before they were accused of stealing $8 billion. On Netflix November 19. https://t.co/1Fl69OfTS2
— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) October 8, 2026
Boyle is almost unrecognizable in the role, sporting Bankman-Fried’s signature bushy hair. The Northern Irish actor has had a strong run lately, with standout roles in ‘Masters of the Air’, ‘Manhunt’ and ‘House of Guinness’.
Garner returns to Netflix after her acclaimed work in ‘Ozark’ and ‘Inventing Anna’. According to the series’ creator, she had only 2 recordings of Ellison to study, while Boyle had a wealth of video, audio and TikToks to draw from.
Your first look at The Altruists, starring Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle. Two hyper-smart idealists race to rebuke the global finance market — then get accused of stealing $8 billon and become Gen Z’s own Bonnie & Clyde. Premieres November 19. https://t.co/sMj808fy0A
— Netflix (@netflix) August 13, 2026
The series comes from Graham Moore, the Oscar-winning writer behind ‘The Imitation Game’ and ‘The Outfit’. He serves as creator, writer, and co-showrunner alongside Jacqueline Hoyt.
Moore has a sympathetic view of his central characters’ early motivations. “I genuinely believe that both Sam and Caroline were deeply committed altruists from day one, who set out to do as much good for as many people as they could in their lives,” he told Netflix Tudum.
The show was inspired by New York Magazine articles written by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner. Joining Garner and Boyle are ‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams, along with Alex Lawther as Sam Trabucco and Karan Soni as Nishad Singh. Naomi Okada, Madison Hu, Matt Rife and Eugene Young round out the cast.
Behind the camera, Barack and Michelle Obama executive produce through Higher Ground Productions. Garner also serves as an executive producer, alongside Moore, Hoyt, James Ponsoldt and Lauren Morelli.
The trailer drew immediate excitement online, with many fans declaring they were fully invested in the cast. Viewers praised Boyle’s transformation and the chemistry between the 2 leads.
Others noted the interesting tension in telling the story as a romance. With all 8 episodes dropping at once, the series looks set to be one of Netflix’s buzziest limited releases of the year. ‘The Altruists’ premieres globally on Netflix on November 19.
Are you excited to watch Netflix’s ‘The Altruists’?
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